Sweden seeks Military Help against Gang Violence
Sweden's prime minister has called in the chief of the armed forces to help curb a rise in gangland killings
There is categorically a threat to Bulgaria stemming from the offensive of Islamic State, though not a direct one, caretaker Defense Minister Velizar Shalamanov said.
He told public broadcaster BNT that the danger was mostly caused by the proximity of Bulgaria to the Turkish-Syria border, where recent IS attacks unfolded, but stressed it was not military in essence.
Commenting on steps taken by his ministry toward the army's modernization since he took over the institution, he reiterated a total of nine projects were in preparation to that end.
Though not directly responding to the question whether it is precisely eight new fighters Bulgaria will seek to buy, Shalamanov explained the country also needs warships and a new cyber-security system apart from upgrading its aircraft fleet.
Shalamanov spoke in favor of balanced development of armed forces' capabilities, describing the current ones as "utterly inefficient" and dating from the Warsaw-Pact era.
Asked why he had undertaken such large-scale projects despite being an interim Defense Minister, he retorted that the national program he and his institution were preparing would carry obligations for the next minister.
Shalamanov also made a few remarks about the explosion in a factory in Bulgaria's north-west which left fifteen people dead.
He said one should not completely rule out the hypothesis raised by the Midzhur plant's owner, Valeri Mitkov, that the incident was caused by sabotage.
Stressing it was up to experts to make their judgment, he said premeditation was not completely impossible, since July 2012's incident at the Sarafovo airport (when a suicide bomber detonated himself killing Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver) proved there was a security breach, and a sabotage would constitute another "serious breach" if found out.
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Bulgaria's Defense Minister, Atanas Zapryanov, affirmed that the reintroduction of mandatory conscription is not under consideration amidst the country's ongoing efforts to modernize its armed forces and enhance military personnel remuneration.
In response to ongoing staffing challenges within the Bulgarian army, the caretaker government is exploring alternative solutions, with military training for security personnel emerging as a potential strategy
Bulgaria's Parliament has taken a significant step towards acquiring eight multi-role F-16 Block 70 aircraft and associated support by ratifying Amendment No. 2 to the Letter of Agreement (LOA) BU-D-SAB.
In an announcement made on Friday, Flotilla Admiral Georgi Penev, Deputy Commander of the Bulgarian Navy, revealed plans for significant upgrades and modernization within the naval forces
Specialists from the United States have conducted an inspection of the repair work at Bulgaria's air base near Graf Ignatievo
Vazovsky Machine Building Plants (VMZ) in Sopot have achieved a remarkable milestone, recording a staggering BGN 828 million in net sales revenue for the year 2023, doubling compared to the previous year
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022